Digging trash!

[BC1969]

I see so many posts complaining about digging trash!
How do I dig less trash and such.
Take it from an old school..
Dig it all!
Full open, zero discrimination.
What about the iron ?
Dig it!
Found a small pocket spill today of wheat cents.
They were at 8 inches with everything in the pictures ABOVE the coins.
Foil circle was on top. The two pull tabs at 2 inches
The casing below those.
The large chunk of iron at 5 inches..ugh!
Keep checking the hole!!
Persistence pays!
Ding, ding..ohh that sounds nice now!





Please keep switching out your machines for the latest and greatest.
My old CZ3D goes deeper than I want to go.
Learn a machine.
Master it.
Be successful.
Happy Hunting!

BC

 

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[Professor of Engineering]

We all dig lots of trash to find the keepers! If you are a relic hunter you dig almost everything...

 

[Upham]

I have a friend that has been MDing longer than me and hasn't found much to speak of. So I took him to a good spot of mine because I felt bad for him. When we got there I said I'm digging everything. He said he doesn't like to dig nails. I found a large cent and a shield nickel, he didn't find anything. I guess I know why now.
Up

 

[BC1969]

I'll dig from here to China for a rusty nail, just saying.

 

[Older The Better]

I'll dig from here to China for a rusty nail, just saying.

Love finding square nails tells me I’m looking in the right spot.

 

[BC1969]

Absolutely!
Most people don't realize that you can easily date a site by the trash targets!
Thanks for getting it!

BC

 

[wuzfuzzy]

Question from a novice who is just starting, Do you dispose of the trash properly in order to prevent someone else from digging it up?

 

[BLK HOLE]

Question from a novice who is just starting, Do you dispose of the trash properly in order to prevent someone else from digging it up?

Absolutely! Take all trash with you

 

[gunsil]

ALWAYS remove ALL targets!! This makes things easier for the next guy who may just be you someday. I have gone back and hunted many places over the years and am always glad I don't have to dig the trash I dug the first time at a site. Learn pinpointing well, one should not need to make more than a 4" diameter hole to find a coin down to 8". Practice!! I also recommend carrying a gallon zip-lock bag to put dug dirt on so it all goes back in the hole when hunting lawns, of course if you are in the woods just getting most of it back is usually OK. Regarding the original title of this thread, one of my favorite sayings is "he who makes the most holes finds the most goodies!!" Those who use a lot of discrimination definitely leave goodies behind for the more patient among us.

 

[BC1969]

Question from a novice who is just starting, Do you dispose of the trash properly in order to prevent someone else from digging it up?

Absolutely!
From the FMDAC or Federation of Metal Detector and Archeological Clubs.

Live by these rules and many doors will open!

Code of ethics
I WILL ALWAYS CHECK FEDERAL, STATE , COUNTY AND LOCAL LAWS BEFORE SEARCHING. IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO "KNOW THE LAW".

I WILL RESPECT PRIVATE PROPERTY AND WILL NOT ENTER PRIVATE PROPERTY WITHOUT THE OWNER’S PERMISSION. WHERE POSSIBLE, SUCH PERMISSION WILL BE IN WRITING.

I WILL TAKE CARE TO REFILL ALL HOLES AND TRY NOT TO LEAVE ANY DAMAGE.

I WILL REMOVE AND DISPOSE OF ANY AND ALL TRASH AND LITTER THAT I FIND.

I WILL APPRECIATE AND PROTECT OUR INHERITANCE OF NATURAL RESOURCES, WILDLIFE AND PRIVATE PROPERTY.

I WILL AS AN AMBASSADOR FOR THE HOBBY, USE THOUGHTFULNESS, CONSIDERATION AND COURTESY AT ALL TIMES.

I WILL WORK TO HELP BRING UNITY TO OUR HOBBY BY WORKING WITH ANY ORGANIZATION OF ANY GEOGRAPHIC AREA THAT MAY HAVE PROBLEMS THAT WILL LIMIT THEIR ABILITY TO PEACEFULLY PURSUE THE HOBBY.

I WILL LEAVE GATES AS FOUND.

I WILL BUILD FIRES IN DESIGNATED OR SAFE PLACES ONLY.

I WILL REPORT TO THE PROPER AUTHORITIES ANY INDIVIDUALS WHO ENTER AND OR REMOVE ARTIFACTS FROM FEDERAL PARKS OR STATE PRESERVES.

Always leave an area better than you found it!

BC

 

[mh9162013]

Maybe it's because I'm a relative newbie, but I've always though you always dig...assuming you have the time. I understand you may only have permission to search a given property for a few hours and in that case, you'll be picky with your digging.

 

[BC1969]

Maybe it's because I'm a relative newbie, but I've always though you always dig...assuming you have the time. I understand you may only have permission to search a given property for a few hours and in that case, you'll be picky with your digging.

With practice..lots, you can retrieve a dime sized target @10 inches making a hole no bigger than your index finger.
I can do it. Without damaging the coin.
I use a brass probe with or without a ceramic ball on the end.
Lessens the chance of damaging the coin.
I slide a brass flat blade screw driver shaped thing that I made down the probe. Then slide the tip under the coin and bring it up.
I fabricate my own tools.
It really does take a ton of practice, but I have an exclusive permission at a few local historic golf courses because of my recovery techniques.
You cannot tell that I was there.

BC

 

[mrwilburino]

I will leave a deep piece of trash in the ground if it means having to enlarge the hole or move a lot of dirt to get it out. Better to not risk making a mess at certain sites.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

This is an interesting thread. Ie.: Dig everything (even the iron and nails) "lest you miss a goodie !!" Right ? Who can argue with that logic. Right ? In my 43-ish years of this, I "came of age" in the era when it was suddenly possible to (gasp) pass iron. And came of age in the era when (gasp) it was suddenly possible to pass foil (if someone so-elected).

And yes, EVEN BACK THEN : We heard the mantras of masking, or "might miss a gold ring", blah blah. Been there........ done that ....... Fast forward to now:

a) I would challenge any of these "dig all the iron" fanatics to go to the typical west coast ghost town (cellar hole, adobe site, stage stop, etc...), and "be a hero" as they espouse. They would be: 1) better off simply sifting the entire top 1 ft. of ground, or 2) they disappear after the first 30 minutes of trying to "dig every nail".

b) I had this debate with someone who was going to meet up with me at a certain CA park that was giving up deep old silver, at the time. When he learned that I (gasp) tend to pass shallow clad and foil, he BRISTLED at the concept. Eg.: You "might miss a shallow oldie" and "You might miss a gold ring" and "you'll miss nickels", blah blah blah. At the end of the hunt, the results were predictable: Me: A few silvers and some early early wheaties, and 2 or 3 clad, and almost zero junk. Him: A pocket full of junk and clad, and a single wheatie.

See ? In his minds eyes, he was going to have the "best of both worlds". Ie.: oldies, rings, deep, shallow, etc.... But it never works out that way. Instead, sometimes a bit of cherry-picking IS the best tactic. You can ALWAYS find an "exception". But if you can only dig so-many-targets, in so-much-time, then sometimes you have to use your best-odds-favorites.

 

[Hunter101]

This is an interesting thread. Ie.: Dig everything (even the iron and nails) "lest you miss a goodie !!" Right ? Who can argue with that logic. Right ? In my 43-ish years of this, I "came of age" in the era when it was suddenly possible to (gasp) pass iron. And came of age in the era when (gasp) it was suddenly possible to pass foil (if someone so-elected).

And yes, EVEN BACK THEN : We heard the mantras of masking, or "might miss a gold ring", blah blah. Been there........ done that ....... Fast forward to now:

a) I would challenge any of these "dig all the iron" fanatics to go to the typical west coast ghost town (cellar hole, adobe site, stage stop, etc...), and "be a hero" as they espouse. They would be: 1) better off simply sifting the entire top 1 ft. of ground, or 2) they disappear after the first 30 minutes of trying to "dig every nail".

b) I had this debate with someone who was going to meet up with me at a certain CA park that was giving up deep old silver, at the time. When he learned that I (gasp) tend to pass shallow clad and foil, he BRISTLED at the concept. Eg.: You "might miss a shallow oldie" and "You might miss a gold ring" and "you'll miss nickels", blah blah blah. At the end of the hunt, the results were predictable: Me: A few silvers and some early early wheaties, and 2 or 3 clad, and almost zero junk. Him: A pocket full of junk and clad, and a single wheatie.

See ? In his minds eyes, he was going to have the "best of both worlds". Ie.: oldies, rings, deep, shallow, etc.... But it never works out that way. Instead, sometimes a bit of cherry-picking IS the best tactic. You can ALWAYS find an "exception". But if you can only dig so-many-targets, in so-much-time, then sometimes you have to use your best-odds-favorites.

I agree. After two hours of hardly anything I moved on to a city park. I spent the next hour amazed at the pure junk scattered across the field. Finally I just decided to dig solid, recognizable signals. The only reason I dug a 52 was because it is my perfect, guaranteed nickel signal... it ended up being a 3000$ ring... cherry picking was the proper method in this case.

Now that does not mean I won’t now go and find every single target in that park because gold fever is a very real thing and I am now stoked for more...

 

[BC1969]

This is an interesting thread. Ie.: Dig everything (even the iron and nails) "lest you miss a goodie !!" Right ? Who can argue with that logic. Right ? In my 43-ish years of this, I "came of age" in the era when it was suddenly possible to (gasp) pass iron. And came of age in the era when (gasp) it was suddenly possible to pass foil (if someone so-elected).

And yes, EVEN BACK THEN : We heard the mantras of masking, or "might miss a gold ring", blah blah. Been there........ done that ....... Fast forward to now:

a) I would challenge any of these "dig all the iron" fanatics to go to the typical west coast ghost town (cellar hole, adobe site, stage stop, etc...), and "be a hero" as they espouse. They would be: 1) better off simply sifting the entire top 1 ft. of ground, or 2) they disappear after the first 30 minutes of trying to "dig every nail".

b) I had this debate with someone who was going to meet up with me at a certain CA park that was giving up deep old silver, at the time. When he learned that I (gasp) tend to pass shallow clad and foil, he BRISTLED at the concept. Eg.: You "might miss a shallow oldie" and "You might miss a gold ring" and "you'll miss nickels", blah blah blah. At the end of the hunt, the results were predictable: Me: A few silvers and some early early wheaties, and 2 or 3 clad, and almost zero junk. Him: A pocket full of junk and clad, and a single wheatie.

See ? In his minds eyes, he was going to have the "best of both worlds". Ie.: oldies, rings, deep, shallow, etc.... But it never works out that way. Instead, sometimes a bit of cherry-picking IS the best tactic. You can ALWAYS find an "exception". But if you can only dig so-many-targets, in so-much-time, then sometimes you have to use your best-odds-favorites.

Tom,
Kinda apples to oranges on that one.
My CZ does everything I want it to do in our soils and waterways here in Michigan, lest the dig it all thing.
I know how mineralized your soil is!
If I were there, I'd get myself a Fisher gold bug and master it.
I don't care for sharks lol!
A 50 inch muskee tried to eat me once and that was bad enough heh.

Mike

P.S.
Tom,
I have always loved your informative posts.
Always in-depth responses.
Thanks for being you.

 

[CoinHunterAZ]

I have done lots and lots of hunts where I told myself I was gonna "dig it all". After about an hour or two of doing it, I gravitate back to cherry picking again. I just get too tired to do it any more. No doubt I'm missing some stuff, but there's always next time. That's my thoughts on it anyway.

 

[Older The Better]

I think some of it depends on where you hunt, I hunt my families property, I’m the only one into detecting and we’ve had the land for like 140 years, I know that stuff isn’t going anywhere and I can come back over and over, so I go with what ever mood strikes me, some days I cherry pick some days I pull it all, had success both ways.
If I was on a one time trip I’d probably start with high discrimination hoping for the best of the best then work my way down the scale as the targets dried up